Justice League #38 Review

Writer: Christopher Priest / Artist: Marco Santucci / DC Comics I’m gonna make a bold statement: The Justice League hasn’t been this well represented and distinct since the cartoon 15 years ago. See what I did there? It was bold on two fronts ? I’m also well aware that I’ve said this in just about every Justice League review I’ve written so far. I just fear that when Snyder takes over the title, all the work done on Cyborg, Jessica Cruz, and Simon Baz will be neglected, so I need to say it as much as I can now. Priest’s Justice League isn’t flashy. It isn’t grand. And for the first few issues, that’s what made it feel so special. In this interpretation of the League, characterization takes center stage, and action takes a back seat. I thought that at some point those two would balance out a bit, but that trend continues in issue #38.

This time around the League is split up in teams looking for their adversary known as The Fan, a dude who dresses up as the team and wreaks havoc on behalf of it. Twisted, right? We get some really good character moments while everyone is split up. My favorites this issue come from Cyborg and The Flash. But there’s not much action, at least not any rooted in the main conflict. I love Barry in this run, but he’s part of the problem. Dude is too smart for his own good. Like, annoyingly smart, and oblivious to others that aren’t up to speed—including the reader. I’m sittin there reading 300 lines of Flash dialogue a page written in, from what I ca…